Dr. Barta holds a Ph.D in Experimental Psychology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He joined the research team of Dr. Jeffrey Fisher in September, 2003, as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and in this capacity contributed work on the National Institute of Mental Health grant Changing Art Adherence Behavior. The goal of the grant was to develop a computer-assisted medical adherence intervention for individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS and receiving antiretroviral therapy. Dr. Barta’s past research focused on areas including dating infidelity, message framing, and computer-assisted health behavior change interventions. His work at CHIP provided him with new skills and expertise in the area of applied health psychology.
In the fall of 2005, Dr. Barta made the transition from the role of Postdoctoral Fellow to that of Research Associate and Principal Investigator on a National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant, “Alcohol-involved sexual risk behavior among HIV+ persons". This grant has allowed him to pursue his interest in the study of emotional self-regulation and the relationship between self-regulation lapses and sexual risk behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS, with special emphasis on the impact of association between alcohol use and self-regulation lapses. The use of technology to collect daily diary data in this population reflects his ongoing interest in using technology to promote innovation in research and intervention.
Additionally, Dr. Barta is co-Principal Investigator on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant aimed at producing an HIV/STI prevention educational video game. This game will be designed to appeal to high risk minority ‘emerging adults’ (18-25 yr olds).
